Thursday 19 May 2011 17.30 EDT
First published on Thursday 19 May 2011 17.30 EDT

Who is he?

Rapper Samuel Bazawule, 29, was born in Accra, Ghana. "It's a vibrant place," he says. "Music was everywhere, big speakers blaring in the open field or live bands playing highlife and Afrobeat covers." Already a teen star in Ghana, Blitz moved to New York – having taken a bachelor's degree from Kent State University in Ohio – in 2005.

He's not your typical say-nothing rap star then?

Not exactly. Blitz – and his band, the Embassy Ensemble – pack a brilliant fusion of styles. You can hear late-80s hip-hop alongside contemporary African soukous and highlife, as well as echoes of Afrobeat artists such as Fela Kuti and Papa Wemba. "Afro-centric hip-hop can make a comeback when the people are ready," he says. "I want to make positive change happen."

He sounds like an overachiever

Spot on. Blitz has just finished writing a screenplay and is now working on directing his first feature film, to be shot in Ghana. "It's about looking in the mirror and accepting who I am," he says. "Telling my story honestly with openness and vulnerability."

Where can I hear him?

The Native Sun album is on Jakarta Records. You can find Blitz's music at blitz.mvmt.com and Facebook.com/blitztheambassador. Rob Fitzpatrick